Improvement in machines foe sizing hat bodies



@einen gtst-rs @anni @fitta WILLIAM B. LODGE, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT, AND HIRAM PLATNER, OF HUDSON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES AND F. SHALLER, OF HUDSON, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 66,097, dated June 25,1867; antedateal June 15, 1867.

'tits rtttulr minet tu im than Eaters nttnt mit rating gaat nf tige stmt.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM B. LODGE, of Danbury, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, and I-IIRAM PLATNER, of Hudson, in the county of Columbia, and State of New York, have 'invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machinery for Sizing or Flanking Hat Bodies, and other articles, whether of fur or wool, or both combined g' and'we hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a machine for sizing hat bodies and other articles constructed according to our improvement.

Figure 2, a similar view, but seen from the opposite side of the machine; and

Figure 3, a vertical longitudinal section of the saine.

Like letters refer` toilike parts in all the gures.

In shrinking fur or wool, or the two combined, as in sizing or planking various articles such as hat bodies, among the mechanism employed for the purpose have been rotating cylinders, vibrating platform, and endless aprons of lags for working said bodies in between them and adjoining shelves or surfaces.

The nature of our present improvement, however, consists in the employment of three or more endless lagaprons arranged one above the other, and those of each pair made to travel at diiferent velocities relatively to each other, and in opposite directions as regards their contiguous faces; and our invention further consists in so hanging and constructing the one or more of such lag-aprons, or frames which carry them, as to secure to the same a vertical'iiexibility and adjustability relatively to a lag-apron, having a different velocity and moving in relation thereto, a-s above specied. y

To enable others skilled in the art to which this our improvement relates to make and use our invention, we will now proceed to describc'it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- d AA is the frame o f the machine, that may be of rectangular or other suitable shape. At opposite ends of this frame, extending across it, are arranged, one above the othcr,`two or more, say three at each end, drums,

B Bl B2, hung on horizontal shafts, a and b1 b2, that are supported in brackets or blocks C, the centre ones of which at either end may be rigidly secured to the frame A, while the upper and lower ones are vertically adjustable to regulate the distance of the upper and lower drums, and of the endless aprons they carry from the centre drums and their aprons. Each pair of opposite drums have their shafts connected by side-boards, D D', extended to form heads or end covers tothe drums which rotate freely within them. These side-boardsparry on both sides, that is at opposite epds of the drums, rails or guide-strips e c, which serve to keep the endless belts of lags that pass round the drums from sagging and in their proper course. To the upper and lower of these side-boards D', with their rails c', we give a certain amount ot' vertical play or iiexibility by constructing them in sections d', curvilinearlyjointed together as ate, and loosely braced or held together by straps, f, for

the purpose of securing an automatic ustability or dexibility of the upper and lower endless aprons F F',

relatively to the centre apron E to make uniform their planking action on the felt-rolls or bodies passing in between them, and which commonly vary in size and consistency. The endless aprons E and F F. passing round their respective drums B Bl, and B2, are made up of' lags bolted orjointed together after the manner of an endless chain, and which may be slightly ribbed, grooved, or corrugated on their outer'faees to give a better hold and action on the bodies being planked by them. In addition to the automatic adjustability or iiexibility given, as described, to the uppper and lower endless aprons F F, the brackets C which carry their drums at opposite ends are made vertically adjustable, as already mentioned, to regulate ina iiXed or positive manner the distances of said aprons from the centre 'apron E, to suit different conditions of work. This adjustability may be effected by raising or lowering, as required, the sidc-boards D", with their, rails and other attachments, including said aprons with their drums and sliding brackets, by means of cams GGrf at' either end, on opposite sides, secured to cross rockshnfts gg', also acting against suitable stops i L, attached to outside bars connected, as will be hereinafter described, with the side-bars D of the aprons. The cams G Gr may on the one side of the machinethat is each pair for either adjustable apron, be linked together, as shown in iig. l, by rods z'z", pivoted to arms or cranks jy", on thc rock-shafts gg', and serving to rocksaid shafts and their cams by means of levers HH', pivotcd to the frame of the machine, as-at c 7c', `and connected with the link-rods or. bars z'z". The free or outer portions of said levers II II', which latter are separately operative to adjust either the upper or lower apron, or both, as required, may be provided with a projecting catch-piu made to enter any one of a series of holes, ZZ', in plates II', secured to the frame of the machine, accordingly as the levers have been moved to the right or left to adjust the aprons up or downto lock said aprons to their adjustment. The cams G G' on the opposite side of the machine, and rocked by the same shafts gg', neednot, (as illustrated in fig. 2,) be of neces- -sity linked together. The outside bars JJ' to the side-boards D' on both sides of tho machine, are, (say the upper ones of the bars J' of the lower apron, and undor ones of the bars J of the upper apron,) divided and bolted in sections corresponding with the sectional construction of the side-boards D' to the latter, while the lower ones of the bars J' of the lower apron, and upper ones of the bars J of the upper apron are left free and independent of said side-boards and not made in sections, but connected with their' sectinal adjacent bars by regulating or tightening up screw-bolts K, and springs L tting round stems projecting from said bars, so that said upper and lower aprons have not only a flexibility given them by reason of the sectional construction of their side-boards D', and -up or down adjustment by the levers II H', but have their general flexibility or rigidity capable of being regulated at pleasure accordingly as the nuts of the screw-bolts K are turned to compress or relieve the springs I). This gives great adaptability to the machine, and enables it to conform to various kinds and, sizes of work, and insures unfailing action. Instead of springs toeifect this general ilexibility, weights, or a system of weights and levers may be used. Supposing motion' to be communicated to one of the central drums B by a pulley, M, on its shaft, so as to give a travelling movement' to the middle apron E in the direction shown by the arrows in iig. 3, then the boards N and O will represent lirst and second feed-boards for passing the bodies to undergoplanking through the machine andreturning them, which operation may be repeated as often as necessary, after first a'nd from time to time immersing said bodies in the battery and folding them in different directions in .their wrapper, as usual in sizing. Where a quick travel through the machine is required to be given said bodiesA or roll into which they are formed, then the upper andlower aprons FF' may be stationary or have no positive driving action communicated to them; but in such case tlie roll, it will be. perceived, can make but few turns in its passage' through a comparatively short machine, and consequently the hat or other bodies are but little 'workcd, which in many cases would render it necessary to pass and repass them repeatedly foroI very lengthened period through the machine. To obviate this, and to secure the bodies being better`worked, weiimpart to either or both of the aprons F F' a positive motion by gearing their drums at one end with the driving-drum of the central apron E, in such manner as thatsaid drums will all rotate, but the upper and lower ones at a reduced velocity, sayl one-halfmore or less to the central one. This will cause the upper and lower aprons, or either, to act in a reverse direction on the roll passing in between them and the central and quicker moving apron, so as to considerably retard its passage through the machine and cause it to be rotated much more frequently during said passage, thereby giving more "work to the hat-bodies, The means for effecting this may consist ofa spur-wheel, P, on the central apron-drum shaft made to gear, through intermediate wheels Q R, say of like diameter to P, with larger wheels S T on the shafts of the upper and lower apron-drums. The sizes and arrangements, however, of those wheels may bevaried so asto give any required differential yvelbcity to the aprons. But as in some cases, or at certain times in the progress of the work, it may not be necessary thus to operate o u the hat bodies or rolls., we'make the intermediate gear Q R, either one or both, to unship from gear with the wheels S T on the upper and lower drum-shafts by supporting the'shafts of said intermediate gear in hangers or levers U U', arranged loose on the central drum-shaft, and serving, when released from a perforated and adjustable springholder, V, or other suitable device, to throw the wheels Q R out of gear with the wheels S T, or either of them, as shown by red lines in g. 2. Or one of said intermediate wheels, say R, may be thus unshipped from gear with the wheel T on the lower drum-shaft, while the otherA intermediate wheel Q may be thrown and held in gear with the wheel on-the `upper'druln-shaft by bitching the spring-holder Von to the lever U, so that the hat bodies or roll in passing underneath the upper apron on or over the middle one will be largely worked or frequently rotated, but on returning it under the middle apron and on or over the under one it will be comparatively seldomI rotated and rapidly passed on. This facility for diversifying the working character of the machine will be found very serviceable in sizing or planking operations generally, and couple-d with the adjustability and flexibility of the upper and lowcr aprons, or either, if the two or both be used, the machine will be found much more perfect than those heretofore employed. The intermediate wheels Q R may have their bearings or shafts secured in slots s in the hangers or levers U'U', so that said wheels may, if desired, be also slid out of gear with the wheel P on the central drum-shaft, or another wheel of different diameter may be substituted for P, and the same levers by their slots s be made to accommodatesuch change, and thus vary the relative velocity of the upper and lower aprons with regard tothe central one.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is j 1; In hat-planliing machines the arrangement of three o r more endless belts or aprons of lags made to travel with their contiguous faces or surfaces in opposite directions, at different velocities relatively to each contiguous one, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with an endless belt or apron, E, 'of lugs, having a fixed or po'sitive motion of two or more endless lag-belts or aprons F and F', arranged asspeciied, and so geared to operate in connection with the belt E, as that they, F and F', can, during the progress of the work, be made at pleasure to travel with their surfaces adjacent to E, in a reverse direction at a reduced velocity relatively thereto, or be left free to act v'independently of it, substantially as described. A

3. The combination of the lag-belts E, and F or F', drums It and B1, or Bg, at the one end of the machine,

wheel P, levers U or U', and wheels Q and S, or R and T, for operation, essentially as and for the purpose or purposes hereinrspecied.

l4.A Constructingtlie side-boards D', with their rails c", in sections, and holding or uniting them by springs dr weights, 4andser`evv-fbelts7 to give the lagapron F or F avertically iexible character, substantially as herein set forth.

5,-.f-ihe coulhinationnv'ith a stationary arranged endless lag-belt or apron E of one or more lag-aprons F or I", 'arranged to' travel at a reduced velocity and relatively to the belt E, as specified, and made vertically adjustable-in'relation thereto by means of lifting-cams G G', or other suitable devices, essentially as specified.

6i The combination with an endless lag-belt or apron, E, having inflexible rails or guides, c, of' an endless lag-belt, F or FQ with its rails or guides c made in sections and flexible, said a'prons E and F or F', being arranged and operating relatively to each other 'substantially as described.

' i WM..B. LODGE,

HIRAM PLATNER.

'Witnesses: l

O. A. ROGERS, WILSON L. WHITE. 

